Exposed
by serenity2bliss
Summary: That's not my shirt." Post 417 'Like Water for Murder.'Danny/Lindsay.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR: serenity2bliss**

**TITLE: Exposed**

**RATING: T**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Not even the laptop that I'm currently using.**

**A/N: A big thank you to SallyJetson for the beta, and also her suggestion in giving this story some common sense. As always, all mistakes are mine and ****no one else.**

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Bouncing nervously on the balls of his feet, he stared at her closed door as he contemplated whether or not to knock on it. It was 10.30am. He had four hours left before his shift started. He knew hers had ended an hour ago, and she ought to be in bed by now, sleeping the day away.

He had stopped by the bakery two blocks away to get her favourite apple cinnamon cupcake. He would have gotten coffee too but he didn't want to risk 'wearing' the hot liquid over his head to the lab later. Better stick to something solid. At least that can be wiped cleaned with a paper napkin should she throw it on his face. The whiff of the said cupcake filled his nostrils as he weighed his options: wake her up from her much needed sleep, or put a sock on his infidelity for another day and leave.

No competition there. It was time for him to own up to his mistakes.

He knocked on the door twice, loud and strong, and waited nervously. He should have taken Flack's advice to take up yoga to help him calm his nerves and temper. But the thought of bending and twisting his body like a pretzel in tights did not hold much appeal for him. He would rather save the acrobatic moves, minus the tights, when he –

"What are you doing here?"

The sound of her voice; slightly surprised, snapped him out of his reverie. Funny how he didn't realize she had cracked the door open while his eyes had never left it. He put on a smile and opened his mouth to ask if he could come in, but when his brain finally registered what she was wearing, or lack thereof, the words died on the tip of his tongue.

Her pretty face was bare of any make up, leaving her skin looking fresh despite the dark circles under her tired eyes; her hair was in disarray, as if she had plopped her head down on the pillow while it was still wet, and the ugly but familiar striped, light blue shirt she was wearing; with the sleeves rolled up to her elbow, covered her well below the knees.

That struck him as odd. When realization knocked him to his senses, he saw red.

Fuming, his usual mischievous blue eyes narrowed to a dark slit.

"That's not my shirt."

Looking slightly amused, she replied dryly, "You have good eyes, Detective. Why are – hey!"

"Flack!" he bellowed furiously as he abruptly shoved the brown paper bag from the bakery at her, striding angrily past her to her bedroom. Just as quickly, he walked out, hands on his hips. His eyes hard on her, and then turned wide as if he had just realizes something.

With a growl, he bolted to her second bedroom, which she turned into a guestroom even though it was hardly used. Similarly, he found nothing.

Fuming, he strode out from the room in search for her. Seeing her, standing calmly in the kitchen, completely oblivious to her state of undress, sipping a mug of hot tea in that damn shirt made his blood boil over.

"Where the hell is he?"

"He's not here."

"But he was here?"

"Yes," she said in a tone of voice that one would use to say 'duh!'. "Don's my friend too, Messer."

_Don?_ Since when did the two of them become so 'buddy-buddy' that she called Flack 'Don'? And what's with the use of _his_ last name?

"Why was he here, Lindsay?"

Letting out a puff of breath in annoyance, she replied wearily, "Listen, Messer. I'm sure Don will be delighted to know that you're concerned of his whereabouts, and as for me, I really want to go to back to bed. So, if you don't mind…" she trailed off, head tipping towards the direction of the door.

Her casualness over the situation did nothing to curb his temper. He didn't want to jump to the wrong conclusion, but if it looked like a duck, and walked liked a duck…_hell_!

"Dammit, Lindsay! Did you sleep with him? Is that why you're in-in- _that_?!" he exploded, his hand gesturing to that offending object.

She looked at him; eyes wide but the look in them was incomprehensible to him. The corner of her lips tilted upward, almost like a snarl. He expected a vehement denial, an angry slap across the face for accusing her of such a thing, but he got neither. Did that mean…

"Well," she said sweetly after a moment of silence, "if I did, you and I are even then, aren't we?"

_Holy sh-!_

"What, you think I didn't know?" Her voice deceptively calm. "Come on, you think you're the first guy in my life? That I've never been cheated on before? Or that I never cheated on someone?"

_How did…Does it really matter, Messer?_

He dropped his head dejectedly. He was caught off guard and said the first thing that popped into his head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

At the dead tone in her voice, his head snapped back up and he stared at her. Her usually warm and inviting brown eyes were now cold. He opened his mouth, trying to reason with her but closed it again, knowing it was futile. He was in the wrong and he knew it. Hell, he knew it the moment he had invited Rikki to his place.

"Linds…"he pleaded.

"Stop," she said, voice slightly above whisper. "Spare me the details. I don't want to know. I don't need to know. Fact is, it happened and you didn't tell me. You. Didn't. Tell. Me."

Knowing he was on the losing end, losing her, he walked toward her, closing the physical gap between them even though the trust that once bonded them so strongly had been broken; by him.

"Mon- Lindsay, I –" He grappled for words. "I wanted to tell you, I swear. But I couldn't. Not then. I wasn't ready."

It was a lame excuse, but it happened to be the truth. His hand reached out to cup her cheek but she slapped it away.

"Doesn't matter. I don't care anymore," she hissed.

_Doesn't matter. Don't care._

Those words out of her mouth were like a splash of cold reality being poured down his back in a frozen winter. They pricked him to the bone. Hurt.

But nothing compared to the hurt he had caused her.

What did she say to him weeks ago?

"_I've fallen in love with you and now I have to figure out how to let that go."_

_In love with you…Let that go…_

_Love…Go…_

_Doesn't matter…Don't care._

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he staggered from the kitchen to the couch in her small but homey living room. Sitting down with his head in his hands, he concentrated on breathing.

_In love with you…Let that go…_

_Doesn't matter…Don't care._

What was she trying to say? She was no longer in love with him? That she had moved on?

His head throbbed and the guilt gnawing inside him intensified. He rubbed his hand over his face and turned his head to look at her; still standing behind the kitchen counter.

"But what about… what about us? Do you -" _still love me? Still want me? Us?_

He couldn't form the question, afraid to know the answer.

Instead of replying to him, she turned around to pour the rest of her tea into the sink and wash the mug. The apartment was silent except for the sound of the running water.

Wiping her hands dry with a paper towel, she sat on one of the kitchen stools. Her need to keep her distance from him didn't go unnoticed.

He fucked up, big time.

_Duh! Way to go, Captain Obvious!_

Calmly, she said, "We can still be friends. It'll be hard at first like the other day," referring to that moment in the lab during the shark case, "but maybe, hopefully, over time, we'll be okay."

_Back to being friends?_

Gruffly, he replied, "That's not good enough."

"And apparently I'm not good enough for you," she mumbled under her breath but he heard it.

"Honey, -"

"Let me finish." She held up her hands as she continued, "I know why you did what you did. Really, I do. Because I did the same thing every year on the date of my friends' death since I was 18. It was _just sex_ but it helped me forget," she shrugged and gave him a tight smile. "As I said, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. I just… I just wanted to be there for you, so that you don't have to go through the nightmare alone like I did." She scoffed. "Silly of me to think you might need someone to lean on when all this time you already had that 'someone'. Turns out that 'someone' wasn't me."

He crossed the room to her in a heartbeat. Her scent wrapped around him like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. He put a hand up, letting her hair brush his palm. She stiffened at the contact but she didn't thwart it in any way this time around.

"You're wrong. I do need you, Lindsay. Don't think for a second that I don't," he whispered, forcing her eyes to meet his. "I was lost and I know that's no excuse for what I did. I wanted to tell you about her, about what I did." He paused, struggling for the truth.

Without honesty, they wouldn't stand a chance.

"I knew that if, and when I told you, you'd leave. And that scared me. I was just bidding my time, preparing myself, so that when you did walk out of my life, I'd be strong enough to stand on my own."

Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. "That's a very nice speech, but it still doesn't change the fact that you cheated on me."

He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "No, it doesn't."

"You should have come to me." Then she threw herself at him, pounding her fist against his chest. "You wanted sex? I would have given you sex. I would've fucked your brains out if you wanted me to! Why didn't you just dump me if you don't want me anymore, you cheating bastard! Why did you have to go to her?" she screamed the last part at him, hitting him over and over again and he took every single one.

He wrapped his arms around her, dragging her to the floor and onto his lap. He tightened his hold around her when she struggled to break free. He let her hit him until she had no strength to lift her arm anymore.

Then he rocked her as she sobbed. "I'm sorry," he whispered, chanting his apologies over and over while cradling her to his chest.

"Tell me how to fix this," he whispered. _Tell me you still love me the way I love you._

She shuddered and fisted her hand in his shirt. "You can't."

"Let me try. Please. I can't let you go. I won't let you go."

She took gulps of air, pushed herself upright and away from him. "You have to because _I'm_ letting _you_ go."

Her words sucked the air out of his lungs. "Lindsay…don't do this."

"I didn't do anything. You did." She crawled off his lap and stood. "Put yourself in my shoes. If you caught me cheating on you, would you be able to forgive me? Could you look me in the eyes and pretend it didn't happen?"

Rising to his own feet, he clenched his jaw tight. He'd find the fucking guy, that's what he'd do. And convince him to forget her. Limb by bloody, broken limb.

As if reading his mind, she sneered. "That's what I thought, Messer."

The use of his last name fueled his anger once again. "So what now? We're over? Date other people?"

"It's been over the moment you touched her," she said acidly. Then added, "And while we're on the subject, we're free to fuck other people too."

"Don't say that," he said, feeling livid by the second statement.

She scoffed at him and rolled her eyes.

He stiffened, adding a few inches to his height. "It's over when I say it's over. I don't want to see other people, and I sure as hell don't want _you_ to see other people, not even my damn best friend whose shirt you're still wearing!" His voice cracked like a whip.

She looked up at him, not feeling the least bit intimidated. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Messer. I can wear Don's shirt if I want to, and I can fuck him too if I feel so inclined," she said in a small, stubborn voice.

With his breath drawing harshly in and out, he watched her. But all he saw was the damning flashes of Lindsay and Flack; Lindsay writhing on a bed that wasn't his, her hair spreading on a pillow that wasn't his, her lips moaning and screaming a name that wasn't his.

He tried to stop his chest from heaving but couldn't.

"The name is Danny," he said softly but his mouth curled to an evil grin. "Or Dan. You can even call me Daniel. Anything but Messer." He inched closer toward her until he could feel her warm breath fan across his chest. "I suggest you get it straight because it'll be the only name you'll be screaming from now on."

As she gasped in shock, he scooped her up with ease, tossed her over his shoulder and headed to her bedroom.

His shift be damn!


	2. Chapter 2

**I was really overwhelmed by the reviews I had received for the first chapter. So, again, thank you guys so, so much for your kind words.**

**Just like the first chapter, my beta credit goes to _SallyJetson_ whose comment is a real boost to my already huge ego!LOL!**

**All mistakes are mine and no one else's.**

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**Chapter 2**

She shrieked and pounded her fists against his back but he didn't as much as grunt. Instead he gave her butt a playful swat which earned him an elbow to the back of his head.

"Put me down, Tarzan!" she snapped.

"As you wish," he replied with a laugh, and unceremoniously dumped her on the bed. Then he walked to the door and closed it shut.

Lindsay scrambled back against the headboard. "Don't even think of trying anything funny on me, Messer," she said through clenched teeth.

"Nah, I rather make you come."

"I don't -" Her eyes widened as he began unbuttoning his shirt. Her gaze dropped down from his naked chest to already tented jeans.

He knew they still had things to settle but right now, nothing mattered but burying himself in her body, to remind her who she belonged to, whether she wanted to admit to the stamp of his ownership or not. Naked from the waist up, his eyes swept over her, his intention loud and clear.

Quickly, she slid off the bed and backed away. "Oh no, you don't. Don't think you can touch me again with you did with _her_. I don't want you."

But the sexual tension sizzling between said otherwise.

Before she could back away further to the door, he caught her around the waist and toppled her down onto the bed, with him planted solidly on top.

Grinning like a cat, he said, "Liar."

She gasped. "Hey!" she snapped, and batted his wandering hands.

He moved his hands from her ass to cup her cheeks. His thumbs gently moved back and forth over her skin. It had been a long time since he had had her beneath him, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her chest against his, her soft, inner thighs cradling his hips.

Looking deep into her arousal-smoldering eyes, he whispered, "You're beautiful. So beautiful. Inside and out."

Her eyes dropped to his lips. Her fingers slowly traced the shape of his mouth, his bottom lip while her other hand raked through his hair.

With a groan, he pressed his lips against her throat. She moaned and arched her neck further to give his lips access. She draped her arms across his shoulders while his tightened around her small waist, holding her closer to his body. She gasped when he bit on the soft skin of her neck then lapped it with his tongue; marking her as his.

She grabbed the back of his head and put her lips hungrily to his. His fingers flexed against her hips, eager to rip her shirt off of her, to feel her naked skin against his. She nipped his lower lip, then fully opened her mouth to him, inviting him in. Like a well bred gentleman, he took it and thrust his tongue deeply into her mouth, angling her head to deepen the kiss.

She pulled back but held his gaze, her tongue darted out to lick her lips. Slowly she raised the hem of her shirt up and over her head, dropping it on the floor beside her bed. She lie under him naked, except for the scrap of white panties.

She reached down to the buttons on his jeans but his hand gripped her wrist from going any further.

Her eyes snapped back to his. Confusion lurked behind them. He took her hands and nibbled on the plump skin of her palm.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked, his voice gruff with lust. She nodded but that wasn't enough for him.

"Say it," he said thickly. "Say the words," he demanded.

Placing one trembling hand against his cheek, she whispered, "I want you."

She tried to bury her hot face in his shoulder but he wouldn't let her. He kissed her instead, all the while unbuttoning his jeans. They broke apart with a gasp when he had to shove his jeans and boxers down his legs.

His mouth latched on her nipple hungrily as he slipped his fingers under the elastic waist of her panties and slid it down slowly. His mouth moved to the other nipple; sucking it hard until she writhed restlessly beneath him.

"Danny," she moaned.

A triumphant grin split his face.

Giving her nipple one last lick, he slid down the length of her body, pressing open-mouthed kisses as he went.

He pressed a lingering kiss against her inner thigh before shoving them wide to accommodate his shoulders. He parted her with his fingers, breathing in her smell of excitement and arousal.

He circled her clit with the tip of his tongue and she bucked at the contact. His hands on her thighs held her wide open as he sucked and lapped at her like he couldn't get enough her taste. He slid his middle finger inside while suckling her clitoris, and slowly slid it out. He thrust it in again, harder.

"You're so tight and wet," he muttered. "You taste so good I could you eat forever."

She clutched as much of his short hair as she could grab as her moan grew louder with each thrust of his finger inside her. Then he drove two fingers, deep, while his other hand kneaded her breast, causing her to whimper.

"Come, now," he said in a rough voice. "Come for me until you scream."

And scream she did as her body gushed and came apart under his ministrations.

He rubbed his face against her inner thigh while slowly stroking her flushed body.

"Danny," she called, her voice slightly raspy after her screaming orgasm, "I want you inside me."

After biting her inner thigh gently, he rose and covered her body with his. Pressing her breast together, he buried his face between them, inhaling her scent. He looked up at her face as he slowly dragged his teeth across her nipples. She cried out, clutching his head to her chest.

"Please, Danny."

Her sweet plea almost made him come then and there. He closed his eyes and groaned. No way in hell was he going to come other than deep inside her. Near to full blasting, he bored his eyes into her, pushing her thighs wide and settling himself between them. Her fingertips dug into his upper arms.

Slowly, he slid the blunt head of his cock against her already drenched opening, probing, pressing, and then he stopped.

He stared into her eyes. "Tell me you love me, that you're still in love with me."

Squeezing her eyes shut from his intense gaze, she turned her head away.

"Look at me. Open your eyes and look at me."

Biting her lower lip, she shook her head.

Slowly, he began to move inside her, his eyes never leaving her face. He pulled out, slowly, making sure she could feel every ridges of his cock against her labia and thrust back in, deep and hard. With one hand behind her knee, he forced her to take his next thrusts deeper. He paused long enough to wrap her arms around his neck, and gathered her ass in his hand before he slammed into her; causing her to gasp, loud. With each thrust, rough hair and hard flesh pounded her clit.

His mouth dropped to her throat and let out a deep groan. His hand moved from her ass to close on her breast. He rubbed her nipple between thumb and forefinger and squeezed with ruthless strength. He could feel her tremble uncontrollably, knowing she was so near to a screaming climax. And yet, she refused to look at him.

He cupped the back of her head and gently turned her face toward his. "I love you."

She tried to wiggle beneath him but he wouldn't budge. Instead he covered her mouth with his in a deep, plundering kiss which she responded to immediately.

When she tore her mouth from his, he pinned both of her wrists over her head. She bucked beneath him in frustration. He surged wildly into her and she gasped out.

Rough and urgent, he rasped, "I'm sorry I made you cry. I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry I betrayed your heart. But more importantly, I'm sorry I betrayed your trust."

She tried to free her hands but that only made him tightened his grip on her.

"Let go, damn you," she said, her voice shaky with tears.

He shook her head. "Can't do that. Not until you believe me."

"Believe what? That you won't cheat on me again?" she spat. Her muscles tightened around his cock as he thrust inside her again.

"That. And that I love you."

To his horror, she dissolved into tears.

Though his cock was still rock hard inside her, he wrestled his orgasm down and pulled away. To his dismay, she rolled to her side and pressed her face against the bed. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed out of control.

He rolled over and tucked her to his side, her back against his chest. He curved himself over her, nuzzling his face into the curve of her neck and shoulder, mumbling soothing words in hope to calm her down.

They appeared to be working as moments later, her heart wrenching sobs had reduced to occasional sniffles and hiccups. He stroked his hand tenderly over her hip and dropped tiny kisses on her shoulder, afraid of scaring her. She shuddered, and gently, he rolled her to her other side so that she faced him. He tucked a strand of hair, clinging to her wet cheek, behind her ear. With his thumb, he wiped her tear-streaked face dry.

They gazed at each other for a long moment until she dropped her gaze to his chest.

Fiddling with his dog tag, she mumbled, "That was embarrassing."

"What was?" he asked carefully.

"Crying during sex."

He winced. "Was I too rough?"

She shook her head. "That's not it."

He frowned, clearly confused. "Then why? Is it because – Do you not want -"

She placed two fingers to his lips to stop the words. "I do want," she assured him with a tight smile. "You - you said -"

"I love you," he repeated his earlier admission.

A shaky breath escaped her lips. "That," she said weakly.

"You don't believe me," he said quietly. Inside, he cringed.

Gently, she extricated herself from his embrace and off the bed; picked up his shirt from the floor and put it on. Normally, he would beam happily at the sight of her in his clothes but the surge of happiness didn't claim him this time.

She wrapped her arms around her. "Can you blame me for doubting you?"

"No," he admitted bluntly.

Lying on his back, he covered his eyes with his arms, fighting back his own set of tears. The first time he said 'I love you' to a woman other than his ma, and meant it, she didn't believe him.

_Serves you right, Messer. Told her you gotta get your bike fixed when you were actually banging your grieving neighbour. You got your 'bike' fixed, alright!_

Then his cell rang. His eyes zeroed in on the digital clock on her night table.

_Fuck!_

"Here," said Lindsay, handing him his phone. "It's Mac."

"Thanks," he muttered, taking the phone from her. He flipped it open as he got up from the bed to the bathroom, closing the door behind him for privacy. He did not need an audience listening to Mac giving him a lecture about responsibility and punctuality like a 5th grader. After promising to meet him at the crime scene in 40 minutes, he ended the call and took a quick cold shower.

Drying himself with her towel, he wrapped the thick white cloth around her waist and looked at himself in the mirror.

For the first time in a long time since he hit puberty, he hated the sight of himself. He worked his ass off to be a better person than the kids in his neighbourhood. He was proud that he managed to break the cycle but his action a little over two weeks ago might say otherwise.

Smashing the mirror felt very tempting by the second until he heard a knock and Lindsay's voice calling him on the other side of the door to remind him of where he was. Cursing himself once again, he opened the door and was greeted by Lindsay in a pale yellow robe.

"There's fresh coffee in the pot if you want," she said.

"Thanks."

He moved past her to get dressed. His clothes were neatly arranged on her newly made up bed, except for his shirt. In place was another shirt of his, ironed and smelling of her laundry detergent.

"You left it awhile back," she said behind him. "You better hurry. I'll be in the kitchen."

Once dressed, he walked to the kitchen and saw her pouring hot coffee in a mug. She handed it to him and he accepted numbly. He cleared his throat.

"Linds," he started. "What happened in the bedroom today…Did you…regret it?"

"No."

"That other shirt…How -"

Smiling sheepishly, she replied, "Don whined about that shirt missing a button. It is his favourite shirt. I volunteered to sew it back on for him. I meant to give it back but keep forgetting to bring it with me, and today I had no clean things to sleep in, save for that shirt." She paused. "I couldn't quite bring myself to wear yours."

He nodded sadly and drank his coffee in silence. He was aware of her eyes on him, trying to figure him out and their odd slash awkward situation. Finishing his drink, he made a move to the sink but was stopped when she grabbed for the mug in his hand.

"Leave it," she said.

Again, he just nodded, not knowing what to say or what to make of her hospitality. He walked to the door with her in tow.

He stopped when he stepped out. He reached out to take her hand in his. It felt cold. He sandwiched it in both of his. Her eyes stuck on their intertwined hands.

A perfect fit.

Always have and always will.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me, Lindsay. Nor do I expect it."

She looked into his eyes and held it.

"I'm asking you to give me a chance to earn it," he said. "To earn everything. Your forgiveness, your trust, your heart."

She shivered. "I need time; to think, to feel."

Kissing her knuckles before dropping her hand, he nodded. "You got it."

He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. He lingered at the corner of her mouth and whispered, "Gotta warn you though. Loving you the way I did, it'll be impossible for you not to love me back."

She shoved at his chest and he grinned. "Smug bastard," she said, trying really hard not to smile.

He shrugged and playfully chucked her under the chin. "I'm just saying."

"Well, I hear you loud and clear."

"Good."

"Good!"

She slammed the door on his face but he wasn't a little bit upset or angry. Instead he felt uplifted and energize, ready to face the day and many more to come. Their little banter gave him a whisper of hope because that was how they became a 'we.' And he would see they returned back to that.

A step at a time or he'd die trying.


End file.
